Device for making containers

ABSTRACT

The mandrel wheel carries a series of parallel pairs of folding mandrels, each mandrel of a pair cooperating with a respective station, positioned 90* apart, having a folding chamber.

United States Patent Alwin Egli Dachsen, Switzerland 850,020

Aug. 14, 1969 Apr. 13, 1971 lnventor Appl. No. Filed Patented Assignee US. Cl

Int. Cl

Field of Search Schweizerische Industrie-Gesellschafi [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,373,663 3/1968 Heim 93/44.l 3,405,505 10/1968 Mistarz 53/375X Primary Examiner-Bernard Stickney Attorney-Singer, Stern & Carlberg 53/375 ABSTRACT: The mandrel wheel carries a series of parallel B31b l/02 pairs of folding mandrels, each mandrel of a pair cooperating 93/44-1, with a respective station, positioned 90 apart, having a 44, I2; 53/3 75 folding chamber.

I 7.2} 8 6a I E d 4a 3 I hEI B A 2 I r 2 '1 l J I U 7 6 1 DEVICE FOR MAKING CONTAINERS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a device for. making containers, including a mandrel wheel cooperating with folding chambers and bottom folders and closers, the wheel having a series of parallel pairs of folding mandrels that are positioned equidistantly on either side of a line passing through the axis of the wheel.

A device of this kind is known. It has the advantage that it enables production to be doubled, because two containers can be manufactured simultaneously. This doubling of the production is only possible, however, with containers of relatively small cross section. If the cross section exceeds a certain limit, the room required by the folding chambers is so great that the latter no longer can be arranged side by side within the amount of free space determined by the dimensions of the mandrel wheel.

' SUMMARY OFTHE INVENTION An object of the invention is to provide a device of the aforesaid kind that combines the advantages of high production and sufficient room for the folding chambers.

This object and others of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The invention will be described with reference to the FIG. of the accompanying drawing, wherein the device of the invention is shown schematically in top view.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Arranged on a mandrel wheel 1 of known design are folding mandrels 2, which project in parallel pairs from the wheel and are spaced an equal distance from a centerline 3 running through the axis'of the mandrel wheel. These folding mandrels are designed exactly as those of conventional mandrel wheels, of which all the mandrels project exactly radially from the wheel.

A conventional folding chamber 4, which cooperates only with the right mandrel 2' of a parallel pair, is arranged at the first work station A. A band of packaging material 5, led to the folding chamber 4, is cut into lengths by a knife 6. The folding chamber is the usual manner places each length, one by one, against the folding mandrel 2', whereupon a longitudinal seam is made in a conventional manner by welding or gluing, so that the length is wound like a tube around the mandrel 2. The mandrel wheel 1 now turns in the direction of the arrow until the mandrel 2' is positioned opposite work station 8, where a bottom folder and closer 7 folds and closes the length of the tube extending beyond the end of the mandrel 2'.

At the next work station C only the left mandrel 2" cooperates with a folding chamber 44, to which is conveyed a band of packaging material 5a that is cut into lengths by a knife 6a, just as at station A. A tube is formed on the mandrel 2" just as it was on the mandrel 2' at station A. At the following work station D, the bottom folder and closer 7a folds and closes the projecting end of the tube on the mandrel 2".

Bottom pressers 8 for both mandrels of a pair can be provided at each of the next two work stations E and F. In accordance with the invention, one of the pressers can apply a label to the tube bottoms. If there is too little free space, each of the stations E and F can have only a single bottom presser, or similar device, for a respective one of the two mandrels of a pair.

At the last station G the finished containers, still open at the top, are slipped off the pair of mandrels and conveyed to conventional twin filling stations, not shown, thereupon to stations for closing thefilled packages.

By dividing the first work step on a mandrel pair between two stations A and C, which are separated by and have each a folding chamber, more room IS made available for each folding chamber, so that a machine having a mandrel wheel of a given diameter can manufacture containers of larger cross section.

Although the preferred embodiment of the invention has been described, the scope of, and breadth of protection afforded to, the invention are limited solely by the appended claims.

Iclaim:

1. Device having a plurality of work stations for making tubelike containers, including two folding chambers, two bottom folders and closers, a mandrel wheel, a plurality of parallel pairs of folding mandrels arranged on said wheel and cooperating with said folding chambers and bottom folders and closers, said folding mandrels of a pair being positioned equidistantly on either side of a line that passes through the axis of said wheel, and wherein the improvement comprises that each of said folding chambers cooperates with a respective one of said mandrels of a pair and is arranged at a different one of the work stations of the device.

2. The device as defined in claim 1, wherein said folding chambers are each arranged at respective work stations that are separated by a 90 arc in the direction of rotation of said table. 

1. Device having a plurality of work stations for making tubelike containers, including two folding chambers, two bottom folders and closers, a mandrel wheel, a plurality of parallel pairs of folding mandrels arranged on said wheel and cooperating with said folding chambers and bottom folders and closers, said folding mandrels of a pair being positioned equidistantly on either side of a line that passes through the axis of said wheel, and wherein the improvement comprises that each of said folding chambers cooperates with a respective one of said mandrels of a pair and is arranged at a different one of the work stations of the device.
 2. The device as defined in claim 1, wherein said folding chambers are each arranged at respective work stations that are separated by a 90* arc in the direction of rotation of said table. 